After getting their games into mass market chains like Wal-Mart and Target, as well as bookstores like Barnes & Noble, the company is looking to a place that you don't see many hobby games in: the drugstore toy aisle. Will it succeed for them and get Munchkin an even bigger market than it already has? Time will tell. But, say what you will about Steve Jackson Games, when many other companies are looking for new markets, they are making them.

Friday, November 20, 2015

There's a new Munchkin set in town (and it isn't that super-cool looking Marvel one that's making all of the social media rounds). This is Munchkin: Christmas Lite, and what makes it cool is that it is a casual version of Munchkin designed to be played in about an hour.

"What?" I hear you asking. "Isn't Munchkin already a casual game?"

Well, yes, but this is a casualer...more casual...version of the same game. You play a game in an hour. Honestly, that is a great thing. I am hoping that this means that we're going to see more casual versions of this game line. I'd love to see a basic version of Munchkin itself boiled down into a couple of decks, that you can just easily carry around and play in a smaller space. This is what makes games like Fluxx (and its near endless varieties) such a great game, you can toss it into a purse or backpack or handy Think Geek Bag of Holding and whip it out at places like the coffee shop to play.

The easier it is to play and move these games around, the easier it will also be to recruit new people and make new gamers.

Underneath, this is still the same Munchkin, so it you know how to play the game you aren't going to have to learn anything new. Because they went for compact and portable, some things are missing. There's no die, and you will have to come up with your own method of level counters. But, I think taking a die from another set (because you do have other Munchkin sets in your house...right?) or grabbing a couple of index cards to use as counters(or even if you just write on the back of one of those coffee shop napkins) fixes this quickly and easily.

I am a great advocate of casual gaming. I like my games, across the board, to be simple and portable, but with enough scalability to be able to add more detail if it is wanted by the people playing. The Munchkin games are pretty good about that, and there are enough sets these days that there should be a Munchkin that will appeal to almost anyone.

Like I said, I hope that this is successful enough that we see a Munchkin Lite. I think that it, and Munchkin: Christmas Lite, will be excellent for the casual gamers in your life.

This game costs $9.95 and will only be available until January (or they run out), so grab yours soon.

As a side, if we're making requests for casualer versions of Steve Jackson Games' games, I would like to put in my request for a quick and easy playing version of Illuminati. Please and thank you, as the kids say.

Wednesday, April 01, 2015

I've been threatening a giveaway for a few months, and it is time that I actually do it. I have an extra copy of Car Wars Classic, still in the shrink wrap, that I want to give to someone who reads the blog. In fact it is the copy that I just took a picture of:

First, I am sorry to say, that this contest is only going to be open to people within the United States. Postage anymore has gotten ridiculous, and it is too much (and to much hassle anymore) to send this outside of the U.S. for a giveaway. I will be taking entries from now until the end of April, at which point I will choose a winner.

What is the contest, you may be asking right now? Simple. In the comments of this blog post finish this sentence: "When I rolled into my first autodueling arena I ____________." Don't get carried away, the odds are good that the longer you write, the less interested I will become in your entry. The winner will be judged solely on whether or not their answer amuses me. Also, only enter once.

The box will then be put into a padded mailer and sent via some form of US Postal Service service that will allow me to get a tracking number. There will be no requests for how I send it.

I have to be able to reach the winner and get a real name and address, so if you don't want to do that please don't bother entering.

Direct questions about this contest to me via social media instead of in the comments.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

I've blogged here at the Dorkland! blog for just over ten years now. That's an accomplishment for sure. However, there's a blog that has been posting every day for twenty years now...and that blog is the Daily Illuminator from Steve Jackson Games. For twenty years the people over at Steve Jackson Games have been posting to the Daily Illuminator every day.

That is phenomenal and deserves some serious kudos from the folks at Steve Jackson Games.

It isn't cheap, but Amazon Prime users will get the free shipping on it. In addition to a study and functional bag that can carry two Munchkin boxes you also get four exclusive Munchkin cards (which in fine Munchkin form must be used in the game in conjunction with the messenger bag) and a special, over-sized six-sided die. The bag will also carry pens, paper, and other sundry supplies.

Wednesday, May 07, 2014

One of the cool things about being a blogger is that you get to take part in interesting conversations, and when you ask odd questions of people they take you seriously. Yesterday, over at Google+ James Maliszewski asked if anyone knew how the early Steve Jackson game The Fantasy Trip got named (I would link to the discussion, but it was a private one, so you'll have to settle for this). The conversation ensued, and no one really knew, but there was a lot of speculation about it having to do with drugs. I figured the easy thing to do was ask the man himself. A few emails and hours later, and a response from Steve Jackson was in my email inbox.

You know how hard it is to come up with an interesting and original fantasy game name now? It was hard even back then.

I don't know whose idea that name was; all I remember of the discussion was that everyone agreed that it would not be two alliterative words separated by "and." I'm sure it was not intended as a drug reference.

[W]hile I have always been good with the name, I'm pretty sure it was not my own idea - it just doesn't "sound" like me.

So there we have it. The complete answer is unfortunately lost, but enough is still remembered to be useful. Will that stop some from still asserting that the title was a drug reference? Probably not.

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For more than 13 years, the Dorkland! blog has presented some of the best in news, opinion and review writing for tabletop gaming enthusiasts, along with original gaming material for a number of different games and genres.

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